Minister of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Yuli Edelstein was quoted in a JPost article about the Israeli government's decision to publicize the images of the murdered Fogel family. He said that the use of these images was not meant as a Hasbara policy, but that since the attack did happen; "we can also use unusual forms of public diplomacy" in showing the images.
And honestly, he is right. Regardless of whether you consider this action to be exploiting the tragic deaths of the Fogels, the media's selective use of images is very powerful, even iconic. In the article, the case of al-Dura is mentioned, where a 12 year old Palestinian boy was pictured in a crossfire between Israeli forces and Palestinian gunmen. That was an iconic image that negatively portrayed Israel. In general, the image has lasting power and effect, more so than the written word. I just thought that in the midst of this terrible case, we could see how the media's use of, or omission, of images can play in a role in how someone views these issues and contribute to bias.
Heres the article: http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=212176
I absolutely agree with you, however I think that although it is important for the news to publish these photos, people should use discretion when posting these photos to their facebook pages and statuses. It is disrespectful and cheapening.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah.. In the correct forum these images bring powerful emotions in people. One can look at it as exploitation but really the point of these pictures is to inspire change or action
ReplyDeleteIn agreement with the previous comments, if the pictures are over-used, people will become de-sensitized to them. People will simply tune out and not pay attention even though the photo is showing something profound. As such, saturating facebook with these images can raise awareness but can also cause people to tune out, something that in this case, we do not want to happen.
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